Vessel unto honour

 

THEME : VESSEL OF HONOUR

TEXT: 2 TIMOTHY 2:19-21

TOPIC: VESSEL UNTO HONOUR AND HIS DAILY CHRISTIAN LIFE

"But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship do the work of an evangelists, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh of the lusts of men, but to the will of God… (1Pet. 4:1-2)

Living as a Christian is not a simple decision. It is a constant daily choice that transforms your heart into something more, something that fulfils God's purpose for you and all of your heart's desires. Our busy lives are a constant swarm of technology, media and information that continually test our religious boundaries. At every turn, we are challenged with

the latest test.

THE CALL TO AN IMPACTFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE

MATT 5:13-20 and 7:13-29 point out that our lives in the kingdom of God have power to influence. How then can we live lives that bring honor to God and positive influence and impact others?

1*  The Salt of the earth and the light of the world

A. The salt of the earth (v.13; Mark 9:50). The Lord Jesus Affirmed the worth and the calling of the believers. The function of the salt is to give taste to the food, and to prevent food from being rotten. Salt is not only a necessity in life, it has some spiritual significance too. For the law has ordered that the offerings to the Lord are to be seasoned with salt as salt is a symbol of the covenant with God.

(Leviticus 2:13) Will Salt lose its taste? Jesus was saying that if salt has lost its function, it becomes useless. The

purpose of our existence is to be the testimony of truth of godly living and to bring the power of transformation to help the fallen world.

B. The light of the world (V 14-16; Luke 8:16).

The function of light is to brighten up the family and those who are far away. Being the light, we are to shine forth through our speech and behaviour, and bring glory to our Heavenly Father. If a Christian does not see the need to the world, it is like lighting a light yet keeping it under a bowl. The church is to show the world the light of God - His truth,

His righteousness, His loving-kindness.

2. Good Tree bears good Fruits (Matthew 7:16-17)

Jesus uses the parable of nature to help us realize different kind of trees will bear different kind of fruits. Ultimately,

our character and behavior will testify or reveal who we are. Our foundation should be obedience to the teaching of

Christ.

HOW TO LIVE AN IMPACTFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE

Where do we get our daily strength, motivation to continue to pursue a God focused life that will impact our generation?

1. Gratitude.

Thank the Lord for everything and refuse to worry about anything (Matthew 6:25-34)

2. Humility.

Humble yourself before God and He will lift you up. Moses was one of the most humble of men but notice how God lifted him up to be the deliverer of Israel. Humble yourself before God and let Him exalt you in His own time (Num 12:3; James 4:10)

3. Word of God.

Feed daily on the word of God and never leave it until God has warmed your heart. This is the place at failure for many believers. Make it a must in your life. God will strengthen you by His word. Do not let a day go by without reading some portion of God's word. (Joel 23:12; 2 Timothy 2:15).

4. Prayer life.

Keep your prayer life active and continue in it. This is one of God's great privileges to us. Pray without ceasing (Col 4:2). Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving (John 14:14; 1 Thess 5:17).

5. Holiness

Renounce all forms of sin and self-centered living. Make a definite decision to get rid of the old life and take on the new Christ. Christ has freed us from sin and we need to believe it and live that way. (Rom 6:1-2; 6,11, 22-23).

6. Guide your thought life.

Do not allow Satan control it. What is your thought life like? Never let it be gutter thoughts,

but keep out of your thoughts the things that do not add to your life. Do not let any form of bitterness becloud your thinking or anything that is fleshly. (Phil 4:8; 2 Cor 10:5)

7. Resist the Devil.

Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. The wiles of the devil are most subtle. He will try to

deceive you and get you away from the things of the Lord. Make sure you have on the whole armour of God so you can stand against him. (James 4:7; Eph 6:11-12; Rom 13:14).

8. Practice contentment.

There are so many things in today's world that can attract you and make you want to have

them. But you can learn contentment if you choose to do so. Ask the Lord to give you the spirit of contentment. Live

within your means. To go beyond this you could be in for some trouble. Some folk are never satisfied and always want more (Phil 4:11;1 Tím 6:6-8; Heb 13:5)

9. Live in the light of Christ's coming.

It could be nearer than any of us think. Agood rule to follow is don't go anywhere you would not like to be found when He comes. Don't say anything He would not like to hear you say when He comes.

Don't do anything you would not want Him seeing you doing when He comes. We have a wonderful hope that thew orld does not have and we ought to magnify it and live in the light of it. 1 Thess 4:14-18; 1 Cor 15:51-58.

Conclusion

Living as a Christian, and truly imitating the Christ's like life is not an easy taxe, that's why we must keep depending and rely on God only. As we move forward in this everlasting journey, let's always be mindful of what we think and do, always pray for grace, and keep trusting God for a wonderful end on earth, and finally spending our eternal life with Him. 

I pray that God will put an end to our suffering in life, and everlasting joy shall be our portion. In Jesus name.

Amen.

Stay Blessed.